Category Archives: reading

Battle of the Kicka$$tacular Heroines: Bella or Katniss?

There’s a battle going on this morning between Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen and Twilight Saga’s Bella Swan. Hey, Katniss has a bow and poisoned berries, but Bella has super speed and sparkly friends. Hmmm…

Check out my Honey Creek Books battle post and take my short quiz to see who you’re most like. Are you Bella-esque or Katniss Powerful? Then watch the video. Who do you think wins?

Image from Little, Brown

Image from TheHungerGames.wikia.com

Murder in Devon, Mystery Novel by Maggi Anderson

  • Do you love novels set in England?
  • Do you love cozy mysteries?
  • Do you love romantic suspense?
  • Do you love plots that have layers and layers to peel like an onion?
  • Did you say yes to the questions above? You may find you’ll love reading Murder in Devon.

murder-in-devon-200x300

When Casey Rowan, a young American woman living in England, finds two good friends murdered, she is determined to find the killer at any cost.  Rod Carlisle, the investigator on the case just wants Casey to stay out of his business. As the web of intrigue grows more tangled, so does their fragile romance, especially since Casey is the prime suspect.

Casey is one of those heroines we love because she dives into what she believes is right with no thought to her own safety. All she wants is justice. But she finds the evidence leads her deeper into other cover-ups and misdeeds, and soon she finds herself in danger. It’s the perfect set up for a murder mystery one can’t put down.

This latest novel by Maggi Anderson is a well crafted story of romantic suspense. Readers who enjoy books by P.D. James will enjoy this intellectual mystery. I found myself checking back and rereading sections of the book to make sure I didn’t miss a single clue. The fun of a mystery is not being outwitted, but this book had me second guessing myself all the way to the last page.

Would you like a free copy of Murder in Devon?

Next Tuesday, Maggi Anderson will be here on the TeacherWriter blog sharing some pictures of her writing space, and some of her tips for writers. It’s always great to hear from such an experienced author. She’ll be giving away a free copy of Murder in Devon to one lucky reader who leaves a comment.

How about subscribing to my blog to be sure you don’t miss next Tuesday’s interview? I’m looking forward to seeing you here again!

Anderson, Maggi, Murder in Devon, Black Opal Books, February 2012

  • ISBN-10: 1937329348
  • ISBN-13: 978-1937329341
  • ASIN: B007D8ZR50

Available in Print,and ebook: 162 Pages

Virtual Author Book Tour banner

Check here for other blogs to chat with Maggi Anderson and more chances to win a free copy of Murder in Devon.

Book Titles, the Best of the Worst

If a picture says a thousand words, a title says it all. Good or bad, the title is the first thing we notice when deciding whether or not to read a book.

Laughing_Monkey

Laughing at the 7th book title. Image by lostsignal on Flickr.

I spend hours upon hours trying to find the perfect title for my books, only to sometimes find out another author has already used that title.

Argh! Back to the creative sandbox I trudge, dragging my shovel behind me.

As I research titles, I find some that I call the Good, Bad, and Ugly. (With a nod to the song.) Today I’m over at Honey Creek Books blogging about my most entertaining finds and doing a bit of sarcastic commentary. Believe me, I’m Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears. (Yes, that’s a published book title.)

Come join me and share some of your best and worst title finds. See you there!

The Writing Space of Author Judy Alter

Today’s post is a guest post from mystery writer Judy Alter. Take it away, Judy!

Room with a view

Some years ago my oldest daughter, Megan, called from Austin one Sunday morning. “I’ve remodeled your house,” she announced. My reply was, “Thank you very much, but I like my house the way it is.” Mine is a 1922 red brick with the standard layout: living room, dining room, and kitchen march down the right side of the house, with three bedrooms on the left. There are a few variations—a half bath in the front bedroom, an extra short hallway off the dining room to the bathroom between kitchen and third bedroom. Previous owners had remodeled, adding a long room across the back (now a playroom and the bedroom for my local grandson) and turning the kitchen into galley space. It still has the charm of an old house, including battered and worn wood floors.

Judy_Alter_office3But as I listened, what she said made sense. My office then was in the third bedroom, a fairly dark space with nothing to look at but the pictures on the wall opposite my desk. The front bedroom opened directly off the living room through an off-center standard door. Megan’s idea? Put French doors in the front bedroom and make it into my office. Eventually that turned out to be a multi-faceted remodeling project including painting several rooms, re-routing air conditioning ducts, replacing the pull-down staircase and other things that needed to be done.

 

Judy_Alter_office2These days I live at my desk. Eating alone? I eat in front of the computer, sometimes with an eye on the TV. I work here, and when I quit for the evening to relax with a good book, I read at my desk (never was comfortable reading in bed). From my desk I can look out into the living room and out the windows of the dining room to check on what lights the neighbors have at night. (They tell me they can also check on how late at night I work at my desk.) The room itself has four windows on two walls, so it is usually sunny and bright, depending on the day. At certain times of the year, I have to close the shutters because the sun plays games on my computer screen.

Judy_Alter_office1The bookshelves that line one wall hold only a portion of my books, though we added an extra section to them a few years ago. I never can find the specific book I want and go from room to room studying the shelves. Someday I plan to organize. But don’t hold your breath!

Some days, when I am busy running errands or doing other things away from the house, I feel the pull of this office space. I want to be here, checking email, eating a quiet lunch, picking away at something I want to write.

Have I written the great American novel in this space? Not hardly, but my writing is doing better in the last couple of years. Beyond that, the office makes me happy—and I think that’s most important.

TeacherWriter comments:

That’s such a wonderful way to open up a writing space. There’s something about French doors that I love, and I’ve never been fortunate enough to have them in my own house. Lucky you!

About Judy Alter

Judy_Alter author pictureJudy Alter, author of the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, has written fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers, including many books about women of the American West, such as Mattie, Libbie, and Sundance, Butch and Me, soon available as e-books. She retired as director of TCU Press and has several awards to her credit, including the Owen Wister Lifetime Achievement Award from Western Writers of America. The single parent of four and grandmother of seven, she lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her Bordoodle puppy and aging Aussie. Find her at the Judy Alter author website, and follow her two blogs, Judy’s Stew and Potluck with Judy.

Skeleton in a Dead Space

Judy_Alter_Skeleton_in_a_Dead_Space book coverKelly O’Connell never thought real estate was a dangerous profession. But while updating early-twentieth-century Craftsman houses in an older neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas, she stumbles over a skeleton and begins unraveling an old murder. The police call it a cold case, but Kelly knows she must solve the murder if she is to finish the house and sell it. She and her two young daughters quickly become the target of threats and vandalism, and someone is telling her ex-husband in California what’s going on. Tim Spencer arrives to protect his daughters by taking them to California with him but is soon found shot to death. Then a new client barges into Kelly’s life, and she finds herself facing a gun, a deadly killer, and the solution to the mystery of the skeleton and Tim’s death.

No Neighborhood for Old Women

Judy_Alter_No_Neighborhood book coverWhen a serial killer begins targeting older women in Fort Worth’s Fairmount neighborhood, realtor/renovator Kelly O’Connell investigates, in spite of the pleas of her companion, policeman Mike Shandy, and her assistant, the colorful Keisha, that she stay out of it. Kelly knows a serial killer will hurt business, and she worries about the frightened old women in the neighborhood. And when Claire Guthrie, a friend and former client, shows up at Kelly’s front door announcing that she’s just shot her husband in the butt, Kelly becomes her champion. Kelly knows about bad marriages and bad husbands from her own experience. Then Kelly’s mom, the needy Cynthia O’Connell, decides to move to Fort Worth to be near her grandchildren. Kelly, a harried, hassled, and loving single mom of two young girls, unwittingly puts her children, her mom, and herself in danger and almost derails her love life.

How Important is Happily Ever After?

Just so you know, (because certainly you’re wondering, :-) ) I’m over at the Honey Creek Books blog today. I’m chatting with readers about why happily ever after (HEA) endings are so important. Think about it. What would happen if we never had happy endings to look forward to? The world would be a sad place indeed. :-(

So please stop by and add your two cents about why you think so many readers love a happy ending. I know I love them. Do you?

Honey Creek Books Blog Launch

Bride and groom dancing

Image by PhotoStock

It’s here.

The Honey Creek Books blog launch.

It’s happening right now, a new beginning of a new line of books, set in Honey Creek, Ohio.

Honey Creek Books is the imprint for my upcoming book Shades of the Future.  I hope you’ll stop by this week to see what’s happening. This week each of the four authors will introduce themselves, one each day. We’ll be giving away books and goodies to readers who comment on posts, join or subscribe to the blog, or follow @HoneyCreekBooks on Twitter. You can win a signed copy in print or digital format of my anthology, Rapunzel’s Daughters. The other authors have wonderful freebies, too.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Honey Creek is a happening place. We’re building a community now, and I hope you’ll become a part of it. Each week the other three authors and I will tell you all about Honey Creek, the romance, and the stories. Each Friday I’ll update you on all the latest gossip, because what’s a small town without gossip?

When I began querying small publishers I found Turquoise Morning Press, (TMP), the publisher that handles the imprint for Honey Creek Books. It’s small but growing. They’ve been nothing but supportive. They have an author network of friendly, talented writers and the publishing team works double time to help produce and promote our books.

TMP hosts the blog, and they’re creating a book trailer to go along with the first Honey Creek Books. I’ll let you know when it’s available to view. I feel honored to be part of this new line of books and such an exciting publishing adventure. I’ll tell you all about my experiences as I go through the publishing process with them.

Here are the important linkylinks:

Honey Creek Books Blog

Twitter with @HoneyCreekBooks

Suzanne Lilly author page

Thought for the Weekend

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” ~~Benjamin Franklin

 

What are you doing this weekend?

 

Enjoy.

Reading: How Nancy Drew Saved My Life

How Nancy Drew Saved My Life

By Laura Baratz-Logsted

I picked up this book last week, thinking it would be a fun and quick summer read. I enjoy reading funny women’s fiction when I need a break from heavier material. This story depicted the heroine as brainless and immature, neither of which I find funny or entertaining. Sorry, Laura.

The heroine is getting over a broken heart and loss of a job. She chooses to read 56 Nancy Drew novels as her recovery method. As hard as I tried to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story, I never could buy into the premise that a grown woman would do that, no matter how heartbroken and devastated she was.

The book has the standard “nanny falls in love with the male employer” plot, only the heroine does it, not once, but twice. Sheesh.

Throughout the book she keeps asking herself, “What would Nancy Drew do?” Well, dear, she certainly wouldn’t fall in love with her married employer. Make that plural.

The story ends in an unsatisfying way, that makes the heroine appear addle-brained and irresponsible. That’s exactly the reputation that chick lit has been trying to break out of for years.

There is one saving grace when you read a book like this one. You can assuredly put it down and say, “I can write better than that.”

Reading: Three Cups of Tea

I put off reading this book during the school year, thinking I was too busy. Now that I read it this summer, I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is the type of book that makes you appreciate how much of a difference one person can make in the world. While this book is nonfiction, it is a gripping account that is hard to put down.

Greg Mortenson was a mountain climber who, on an attempt at K2 in 1993, became lost and wandered into a village in Pakistan. While enjoying the hospitality of the village chief, he found out that there was no school in the village. Boys were sent away to school while girls were offered no education.

He made a decision to change that. He returned to the United States, determined to raise enough money to build a school. Over the years, with the help of generous benefactors and friends, he has managed to build over 50 schools and empower the people whose lives he has touched.

This inspiring story is a must read. You can find out more about the book and the organization Greg founded, as well as what you can do to help, by clicking here.